Desserts

Irish Gorse Flower or Honey Panna Cotta

15 mins
Prep
10 mins
Cook
4
Servings

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Ingredients

  • 300ml double cream; 200ml whole milk
  • 2 generous handfuls of freshly foraged yellow gorse flower petals (or 3 tbsp raw Irish heather honey)
  • 50g caster sugar (reduce to 25g if using honey)
  • 3 bronze gelatin leaves
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

  1. If using gorse flowers, give them a gentle shake to clear any wild insects, and strip the yellow petals from the green stems.
  2. In a saucepan, bring the cream, milk, sugar, and gorse petals (or honey) to a scalding point (just under a boil). Remove from the heat, cover with a lid, and let infuse for 30 minutes to absorb the delicate floral coconut aromas.
  3. Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water for 5 minutes until soft.
  4. Strain the infused cream mixture through a fine sieve to remove the flower petals, then return the liquid to a clean saucepan and warm gently.
  5. Squeeze excess water from the gelatin leaves, drop them into the warm cream, and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  6. Pour the liquid into 4 panna cotta molds and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until perfectly set with a signature wobble.

Capturing the wild scent of the Irish countryside. Gorse bushes line every rural road with bright yellow flowers that smell faintly of coconut. If gorse isn’t in season, high-quality local heather honey steps in beautifully.